Editorial: Travel woes

Tuesday

Jul 31, 2007 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2007 at 5:57 PM

For air travelers, this has been a summer of tribulation. June's 20,301 flight cancellations were double the figure for June last year. For the airline with the best on-time record (Southwest), almost one in four flights was late.

For air travelers, this has been a summer of tribulation. June's 20,301 flight cancellations were double the figure for June last year. For the airline with the best on-time record (Southwest), almost one in four flights was late.

Any glitch means jam-packed planes sit in line for hours for takeoff or for a vacant gate after landing. A recent flight from Minneapolis landed at LaGuardia Airport in New York City at 4:30 a.m., five hours late. Passengers couldn't get off because the man who operates the finger bridge was on a break. Before today's stripped-to-the-bone staffing, somebody probably would have covered for him.

Thunderstorms have hurt. They hit Dallas-Forth Worth on 17 days in June compared with only four days last year. Airlines gripe that Federal Aviation Administration controllers now are too cautious, spacing flights 20 miles apart instead of five.

In Washington, the House Transportation Committee has approved a ``passenger's bill of rights'' requiring airlines to provide food, water, ventilation and access to restrooms and medical care for passengers trapped for three hours, and to let them off after four. Sounds good, but it may be unworkable.

It might help if the FAA forced airlines to make unused gates available to other airlines, but reducing the number of flights or passengers, or requiring a minimum number of seats or workers, probably would be politically and financially impossible.

The industry is suffering, in part, from the government's inability to keep the system up to date and not much can be done about it in the short term. If you've got a plane to catch this summer, bring a good book.

Market Place

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA ~ 33 New York Ave., Framingham, MA 01701 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service